Former President Goodluck Jonathan called on politicians to follow the rules, saying it is wrong for candidates to try to manipulate the system just to win an election.
The former Nigerian President, who conceded defeat to the opposition in 2015, said this while speaking at a public lecture for the 80th birthday of former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Kanu Agabi, where he emphasised that politicians cannot excuse every action taken to win an election by calling it politics.
He said elections should follow established rules, and politicians should not use the desire to win as an excuse for bad behaviour.
He said: “In politics, it is a disaster. People do stupid things, also even criminal things, and they will tell you it is politics. It is not politics. Politics has rules.
“Politics is like a soccer match. You play according to the rules, and that is why the courts step in to mediate if you go against the rules. Otherwise, you can do anything and win an election and walk away.”
The erstwhile president also stressed that the anti-corruption fight in the country requires more than laws and enforcement agencies, emphasising that enduring change would depend on building a society where ethical conduct is valued above wrongdoing.
“The challenge before Nigeria is not simply to make laws against corruption. It is to build a culture in which ethical conduct becomes the norm, where public office is treated as a trust, and where institutions are strong enough to uphold accountability.
“We cannot continue to claim that private corruption will just keep going around in circles. It cannot go anywhere until we develop that culture, and nobody does wrong willingly,” he added.
Jonathan shared an experience from Rwanda, explaining that the country’s social values discourage public officials from accepting gifts that might be seen as inappropriate. He said this showed how strong social norms can shape public behaviour, even more than formal laws.
“I gave this to my aides to give to the people who take care of me. If you give me a hotel room where nobody can see anybody, where it is free, they say it is not the culture of Rwanda to accept the little gift — just a gift,” he said.
Meanwhile, he stressed that key institutions in the country, especially the judiciary, have an important role to play in ensuring accountability when rules are violated.
“All of us Nigerians have a major role to play if we want to suppress corruption, not just the bodies established by law to discipline and punish those who do it,” he stated, even as he urged politicians to exhibit higher moral standards.